The book Arran; - Cook Clan

FOLK HISTORY 129
An occupation, which by the close of the eighteenth
century had grown to the proportions of a national industry,
was the smuggling of dutiable articles : and in this business
Arran, possessing many advantages from its insular character,
had a good share. As duties, under the demand for a
greater revenue, spread and increased, one thing after
another became a profitable speculation for the smuggler.
The malt duty of 1725 discouraged the ancient brewing of the
home-made ale, and Dutch gin and French brandy became
its unfortunate substitutes. We have observed the trade in
French wines to the Ayrshire ports ; there was gain now
to be made by receiving the spirits from ships passing up
the firth, before they reached a custom-house, and retailing
at a profit what had not paid duty. A tax on salt had been
levied in 1702, which rose to 5s. a bushel in 1798, but was
ultimately pushed up to the extravagant figure of 15s.,
or from thirty to forty times the prime cost. Here was a
huge margin of profit, and it is no matter of surprise that
enterprising fellows were found eager to tap it and take the
risks. Finally, the taste for spirits encouraged the making
of whisky, which then was also scooped into a narrower
revenue net. Improved agriculture was increasing the
yield of barley, and rents rose correspondingly, yet the
wretched condition of the roads made it almost impossible
to bring the grain to central markets from remote
districts, while multiplying legal restrictions made small
stills impossible. In fact, over the Highland districts
legal distillation was practically prohibited in order to
concentrate the industry in the larger distilleries of the
south. Yet barley had to be disposed of or rents could not
be paid.i
There were thus two sides to the smuggling business
introducing stuff which had escaped the duty, and the manu-
facturing of whisky under illegal conditions, which therefore
VOL. II.
^ There was also a distilling of rum from treacle,
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